The Enemy Within
by Damion Starr
Summary: A vacation for the boys goes terribly awry... FINISHED
1. The Terrifying Present

The Enemy Within  
  
Ch. 1: The Terrifying Present  
  
Author's Note: Not much to say, I guess. Just, enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Andromeda, not mine...damnit...  
  
"The most effective weapon is inside us all. That is our curse." Capt. Sarina Legallos CY 2935  
  
I can hear him crashing through the trees behind me. I can also hear my heart pounding. Branches reach out, grabbing my tattered and dirty clothes, scratching my face, my face, anything they can get at. Suddenly, the trees stop, and quickly after that, the ground does as well. I skid to stop, my arms pinwheeling as I fight for balance. After what seems like forever, I finally stumble backwards, away from the edge. I breathe a sigh of relief, then freeze. I hear him burst out of the forest, causing my heart to stop. I turn slowly. He stands just outside of the treeline, bare chest heaving, eyes cold and fixed on mine, teeth bared in an animalistic grin. "Hey, take it easy," I hold out my hadns in a warding gesture when I see the forcelance in his hand. "C'mon, you don't want this. You know that," He begins walking toward me, slowly, deliberately; an animal stalking it's prey. "Please, don't do this. It's me, it's-" Suddenly, pain jolts through my body. I look down and utter a strangled gasp. He has extended the force lance through my gut. He retracts it and the blood quickly begins to flow. I try to staunch the bleeding, but the sickeningly warm liquid simply flows between my fingers. I look up at him, confused. There is no recognition in his eyes. He steps forward and shoves me with a growl. I stumble backwards, but my feet find nothing. I begin to fall. "Dylan!"  
  
Author's Note: So, whattcha think? Yer probably yelling at me right now. "Who is it?!" "What's going on?!" "Continue?!" Well, stop yelling and I will. Ordering will get you nowhere! 


	2. Three Days Earlier

The Enemy Within  
  
Ch. 2: Three Days Earlier  
  
Author's Note: Second chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Despite my best wishes, Andromeda is not mine.  
  
***  
  
"What?! Why me?!"  
  
Dylan Hunt grimaced. "Harper, big boy voice," Beka Valentine interjected with a smile. Seamus Harper's only response was a rather universal gesture, keeping his eyes on Hunt. "That's it, you are grounded young man." Beka joked.  
  
"Beka," Dylan said warningly, returning his engineer's steady gaze.  
  
"I know, out," Beka half-whined, then left the machine shop, casting silence into the room. Harper's eyes shifted briefly to the door.  
  
"She's gone." Both men's hostile stances relaxed and they grinned at each other. "I love messing with her, it's so easy," Harper laughed as he sat down at the bench and his current project. "So, we all ready for our little vacation?"  
  
Dylan moved to the other side of the bench. "Yep. We leave first thing tomorrow morning."  
  
"Great. I never thought I'd say this, but I need a break from all these women! Like, the other day, I sneezed, once, from dust in a conduit, and suddenly I was attacked by all three. It was nuts!"  
  
Dylan chuckled. "Yeah, they get like that."  
  
"Well, I, for one, am seriously looking forward to some male bonding. Gambling, drinking, spitting, swearing..."  
  
"Didn't we just do that the other day?"  
  
Harper looked up at the ceiling and jogged his memory. "Oh, yeah. Well, this time there won't be women around,"  
  
Dylan smiled and held up a can of Sparky cola. "Vacation?"  
  
Harper held up his own. "Vacation!"  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Heh heh. I love to leave you people begging for more. It's what brings in the reviews! 


	3. Spiraling Into Black

The Enemy Within  
  
Ch. 2: Spiraling Into Black  
  
Author's Note: I guess I should do some thank you's. Don't want to seem ungrateful. So, I'd like to thank the academy- No, I'm kiddin'. Thanx to all the reviewers. Your comments, demands, threats, were all greatly appreciated!  
  
Disclaimer: Andromeda still not mine! Argh!  
  
***  
  
"Harper, c'mon!"  
  
"Keep yer pants on, boss! I'm comin'!" Harper appeared in the doorway of the Eureka Maru's command. He was trying vainly to get his hair to do what he wanted it to. "God damnit!"  
  
"Harper."  
  
"What?!" the engineer unintentionally snapped. Dylan merely smiled patiently from the pilot seat.  
  
"Strap in. We're gonna take off,"  
  
"Oh." Harper did as he was told, mentally kicking himself for being a jackass, but too proud to say anything.  
  
***  
  
The silence between the two men hung heavy for five hours. It was broken by the Maru's alarm. "What's up?" Harper unstrapped himself and stood beside Dylan.  
  
"I don't know. Maru's picked up something, but she can't identify it,"  
  
Harper's brow furrowed. "That's strange. I must've missed a bug or something," He turned to check the systems.  
  
"Incoming! Harper!" The words had no sooner left Dylan's lips than the Maru pitched, tossing Harper against a wall. Dylan heard him scream; a scream that cut off into a groan, then stopped altogether. "Harper? Harper?!" No response. Suddenly, the display before Dylan changed. His eyes widened. "Oh, no," The Maru was going down. "Shit." The ship hit, and all went dark. 


	4. A Rough Awakening

The Enemy Within  
  
Ch. 4: A Rough Awakening  
  
Author's Note: Okie-dokey, chapter 4. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Andromeda  
  
***  
  
Harper groaned and lifted his head. He gently touched his temple and found blood there, still wet. When he tested his jaw experimentally, he could feel the dried blood crack. He groaned again, this time out of disgust, and sat up. "Dylan?" He stood, grimacing at the spike of pain that drove itself into his skull, and walked over to the pilot's chair. "Wakey- wakey...boss..." The chair was empty. "What the-?" He was cut off by a mass of limbs that slammed into his back, practically throwing him against the chair. The air whooshed out of him as the armrest drove into his abdomen. He slumped weakly to the floor, breathless, and moaned as another spike smashed into his skull. "Oh, goddamn," He opened his eyes, then gasped. Dylan stood over him, growling quietly, his extended forcelance in his hands. "Dylan?" Harper asked softly. His captain's answer was to swing down the staff toward the engineer's head. Harper rolled out of the way just in time and came up on his feet. "Dylan, what the hell are you doing?!" Hunt turned, sneering at the shorter blonde. "Dylan-!" The High Guard captain lunged at Harper, who ran around the pilot chair, under the bar, and toward the door leading off the Maru. He could hear Dylan chasing him. Harper slapped the release button for the door and squeezed under before it opened all the way. He was on his feet and running again in a second. He kept running until, exhausted, he tripped over a root and skidded over the dirt. Harper lay on his side for a moment, gasping for air, then suddenly remembered why he had been running for his life. He tried to push off in a track start, but his leg gave out beneath him, sending him crashing back to the ground. He bit back a scream and rolled over onto his back. "Oh, god," He groaned. As he lay on his back, arms spread out at his sides, he suddenly noticed the darkening sky. "Shit," He half moaned, half whispered, suddenly too tired to care about his friend who was hunting him down. He quickly fell asleep.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Well, keep those reviews comin', they're great for my ego, and what's good for my ego is good for all of us...No, I'm kidding...although, reviews ARE great for my ego. Please keep it up! Over 'n Out, Damion Starr 


	5. Slammed Back Into The Fear

The Enemy Within  
  
Ch. 5: Slammed Back To The Fear  
  
Author's Note: Uh, yeah, chapter five...um...aw, hell, I got nothin' else. Enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: Andromeda does not belong to me.  
  
***  
  
Harper was awakened by a bird call off in the trees. He sighed and sat up quickly, gritting his teeth against the throb in his body. He rested his head in his hands briefly, then forced himself to look around at his surroundings. He had no idea where he was. He had run blindly from the Maru to his current position. Suddenly, a twig behind him snapped. Harper leapt to his feet, ignoring the flare up in his wounded leg, and spun around, ready to fight. His wide eyes darted around, straining to see movement. Nothing moved. Harper took a few cautious steps backwards, then turned and ran. He heard something give chase, but didn't dare a glance over his shoulder. His leg went blissfully numb quickly and his pace increased. A terrifying thought flashed though his mind, but he pushed it aside.  
  
'I'm going to die here, and it'll be at Dylan's hand.'  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: I love leaving you guys hangin'. 


	6. Perfect End To A Perfect Vacation

The Enemy Within  
  
Ch. 6: Perfect Ending To A Perfect Vacation  
  
Author's Note: Last chapter. Been fun, sports fans.  
  
Disclaimer: Andromeda is still *sniff* not mine (*bawls*)  
  
***  
  
"Dylan!"  
  
Hunt blinked. He grabbed the wrist that was disappearing behing the cliff and fell to his knees from the sudden weight. Harper cried out as his shoulder was yanked out of it's socket. His other hand was over the wound in his stomach. He looked up at Dylan through tears. "Hang on, Harper,"  
  
"Don't let go, please," The engineer sobbed.  
  
"Never," He started to pull Harper up, but then a Gauss gun blast grazed his shoulder. He inhaled sharply, but didn't allow his grip on Harper's wrist to loosen.  
  
"You are stubborn, Captain Hunt,"  
  
Dylan focused on Harper's dirtied face and began to pull him up again. Harper screamed in pain.  
  
"Stopstopstopstopstop! Please!"  
  
Dylan held out his free hand. "Give me your other hand!" Harper hesitated, crying silently. "Damnit, Harper! Your shoulder is dislocated! Give me your other hand!" Dylan barked. The engineer looked up into his captain's eyes for a moment, then reached up and took Dylan's hand with his good one. It was blood slicked and nearly slipped out of Hunt's grip, but the High Guard's quick reflexes got him caught by the wrist. Dylan released Harper's dislocated arm, allowing it to drop limply to the engineer's side, then pulled the smaller man up onto solid ground. Harper flopped over onto his back, groaning, with one hand over the bloody wound in his abdomen. "Move your hand, let me see," The engineer complied with the gentle order and light touch on his wrist. He winced as his hand brushed raw skin. Dylan grimaced as well, and his heart fell at the sight of the injury he had inadvertantly caused, but he forced a smile. "This doesn't look bad," The tears in his eyes gave him away.  
  
Harper smiled painfully. "Liar," Both men laughed weakly, but it ended in a groan for the wounded.  
  
"Excuse me, Captain Hunt?" Dylan looked over his shoulder sharply, his smile vanishing quickly. A Nietzschean stood where he had just a few moments ago. The stranger started to clap slowly. "Wonderful save, Captain. Truly heartstopping,"  
  
Dylan's eyes narrowed. "What are you?" He spat.  
  
The Nietzschean smiled. "My name is unimportant, but, since you just have to refer to me by something civilized, you can call me the Gamekeeper,"  
  
Dylan rolled his eyes. "Great, another one," He said quietly to Harper, who smiled. "So, exactly what is your game-" He froze, the light of realization dawning in his eyes. "You..." He looked down at Harper, who was quickly fading from blood loss. The High Guard's temper flared and he grit his teeth. "You did this," He hissed and looked up at the Gamekeeper. His eyes flashed. "You made me hunt down and nearly kill a friend!" Dylan jumped to his feet and lunged at the Niet.  
  
"Dylan, stop!" Harper screamed. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and Dylan froze. The Gamekeeper remained standing for a few moments, then fell forward, clearly dead. Beka moved out of the trees, still holding her gun on the body. Rommie followed, but went to Dylan.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
He nodded, shell-shocked, then blinked, snapped out of his stupor. "Harper," He turned and ran back to the engineer's side. Harper was still, too still. His eyes were partially closed and glazed over. Hunt gently gathered up his friend's body in his arms. "Harper? Harper, c'mon,"  
  
"Dylan?" The smaller man whispered through parched lips.  
  
Dylan smiled in spite of the tears in his eyes. "Yeah, it's me. I'm here,"  
  
"Some vacation, huh?" Harper smiled wanely.  
  
"What else did you expect, peace and quiet?"  
  
"Not really, but I hoped," Both laughed, a little stronger this time, most likely out of relief. "The whole universe is against us, I swear to God," Harper said once they quieted.  
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way. Makes life interesting," Dylan replied, still smiling. "Come on, let's get you home."  
  
~Fini~ 


End file.
